Child&#39;s chair with adapter bracket



Nov. 17, 1964 w. R. WATKINS 3,157,432

CHILD'S CHAIR WITH ADAPTER BRACKET Filed July 29, 1963 Will/e R. Watkins INVENTOK.

United States Patent M 3,157,432 CHILDS CHAR WiTl-l' ABAPTER BRACKET Vviiiie R. Watkins, RED. 7, Box 649, Greenshoro, NAIL,

assignor of one-half to Aifred T. Stapies, Greensbore, Nil.

Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 293,115 2 Claims. (ill. 297254) The present invention relates to a childs barbering chair which when it is sitting on the floor in the barbershop serves as a waiting chair for the child user and when attached to the back of the regular barbering chair seats the child in a straight up comfortable safe and secure manner.

Persons conversant with the art to which the invention relates are aware that child-size seats and chairs for barbershop use are old and well known, that varying styles, types and adaptations have been offered for use. Despite the efforts of others in this line of endeavor it appears nevertheless true that prior art chairs have not, evidently, met with wide-spread adoption and use. Accordingly, it is an objective here to explore the field further in the belief that the chair which is herein disclosed will assure the child user of a degree of comfort and security which will dispel all fear of falling or imaginatively becoming the victim of the barber while getting a hair cut.

There has long existed a need for a childs barbershop chair which achieves the primary results desired. With this objective in view the chair herein revealed features the structure necessary to do so. It has a rearwardly tilted seat which keeps the occupant in a straight up position and minimizes tension and th fear of a first hair cut. This achievement alone is gratifying to the childs mother or father, also the barber. Being light in weight, the chair can be easily handled. It can be made to fit almost any barberLng chair in current use. The barber can adjust it up or down to suit himself and also to make the child feel at home and not tempted to squirm, fret or cry. Then too, experimental use, shows that this chair, saves valuable time, assures the child of getting a good hair cut and serves the purposes for which it has been devised.

Briefly, the present invention features novel means for handling, carrying and detachably mounting the childs chair on the back of the barbers chair. The means preferred comprises a single adapter bracket of one-piece construction characterized by an inverted U-shaped portion, the latter embodying a depending rear leg adapted to fit telescopingly into the socket of the usual socket member provided on the rear side of the back of the barbers chair. This leg has keeper seats to accommodate the usual latch means. The bracket also has a front leg which is rigidly fastened to the vertical median portion of the backrest. The front leg is of a length greater than the height of the backrest. The bight por- Patented Nov. 17, 1964 panying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a fragmentary portion of a currently popular barbers chair and showing the improved childs chair and the manner in which it is deteachably and adjustably bracketed on the barbers chair, portions thereof being broken away to expose significant improvements which will be hereinafter more clearly described.

FIGURE 2 is a view based on FIGURE 1 and which is significant in that it illustrates the novel adapter bracket and essential parts of the childs chair and how they cooperate in attaining the improved results desired.

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the adapter bracket by itself.

FTGURE 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the horizontal section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective and which show a inodified form of the invention which includes, wherever necessary or desired, an attached harness which assists in holding the occupant in the chair.

It is significant to point out here that the aforementioned adapter bracket, to be particularly described, is the same in construction (FIG. 3) for both forms of the invention illustrated, for example in FIGURES l and 2 on the one hand and FIGURE 5 on the other. It is further to be pointed out that the present application is a continuation-in-part of copending Serial No. 177,799, filed March 6, 1962, and from which FIGURES 3 and 5 have been borrowed and which has now been abandoned.

With reference again to FIGURES 1 and 5, the numeral S designates a conventional type barbershop or, as it is sometimes called, barbering chair the vertical back of which is denoted at 16. In actual practice the upper median portion of the back is provided with socket means which is denoted generally at 12 and provided with a push-button controlled latch or detent 14 (not detailed). This socket and latch arrangement customarily serves to accommodate the attaching and adjusting leg of a readily attachable and detachable headrest (not shown).

The readily attachable and detachable chiids chair is denoted (FIGS. 1 and 2) by the numeral 16 and em bodies a pair of opposed vertical side members 18 which are generally rectangular in side elevation and have front tion joins the upper ends of the front and rear legs and bridges over and extends laterally and rearwardly beyond the upper marginal portion of the back of the barbers chair. The front leg is provided at the lower end thereof with a forwardly projecting right angularly disposed limb which functions as a seat anchoring and rigidifying brace and tilts the seat toward the back of the barbers chair in a manner which strengthens the over-all chair and imparts the desired pitch to the seat for comfortable and reliable use by the child.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accomand rear marginal edge portions and top and bottom horizontal marginal portions, said members being disposed in spaced apart parallel relationship. The horizontal bottom edge portions 20 are such as to rest firmly on a floor, when the chair is not in use, so that it may be employed as the aforementioned Waiting chair.

In actual practice the side members 18 are of composite construction and include a frame or panel which is cushioned and appropriately upholstered. The side members it: are properly associated with and attached to the intervening main components; that is, the vertical backrest which is denoted as a unit by the numeral 22, and the cushioned seat 2 which is horizontal thereto. The backrest comprises a rigid wooden or equivalent frame or panel 26 which is provided On its forward side with appropriate cushioning means 23, these parts being appropriately concealed in suitable washable upholstering means denoted generally at 30. The seat member is also of rigid cushioned construction and comprises a horizontal seat board, frame or equivalent rigid means 32 which as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 2 is also provided with appropriately shaped cushioning means 34 which in practice is appropriately upholstered or covered. Midway between the left and right vertical marginal portions the panel 26 is provided with a groove 36 (FIG. 4)

V latch accommodating keeper seats 48.

which registers at its lower end with a complemental groove 38 in the underneath side of the seat panel 32. It should be pointed out, in connection with thepanels 26 and 32, that it is not absolutely necessary to provide grooves or channels therein but the grooved construction is generally preferred.

Briefly summarized the childs chair comprises a horizontal seat, a complemental vertical backrest with the useable surfaces properly cushioned and encased in Washable covering or upholstering material with the seat and backrest appropriately supported between the cooperating interior side portions of the two spaced parallel side members 18.

The single one-piece adapter bracket is fixedly mounted on the childs chair and constitutes a carrying, handling and mounting bracket. It is denoted as an entity by the numeral 463 and is formed from a metal bar which is rectangular in cross-section and which is bent upon itself between its ends to provide an inverted U-shaped portion. This U-shaped portion comprises a rearward leg 42, an opposed forward leg 44 and a bight portion 46 connect ing the upper ends of the legs 42 and 44. The leg 42 is inearly straight and is provided with selectively useable 7 It will be noted that the forward or front leg 44 is of a length greater than the leg 42 and is joined to the bight portion by an angular bend or bent portion whichis such that the leg 44 is oblique to' the leg 42 and is consequently pitched forwardly and downwardly. In actual practice and while the bar stock from which the bracket is bent is firm and rigid the fact is that the leg 44 is slightly resilient and is capableof yielding in a direction away from the leg 42. This leg 44 is also provided with holes 52 to accommodate attaching screwsror the like 54. With reference to FIG- URES l and 2 it will be seen that the leg 44 sets in the groove 36 and is fastened by screws or the like 54; The leg 44 is provided at its bottom with a forwardly bent portion which is here referred to as a limb. This limb is denoted by the numeral 56 and it too has holes 58 permitting it to accommodate fastening screws 60 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2. This limb sets in the groove 38 provided therefor. It is reiterated that the panels 26 and 32 in actual practice may be constructed as rectangular or equivalent frames, atype of construction which is commonly used in the chair construction art. 1 1

The fact that the limb 56 is at a true right. angleto the lengthwise dimension of the leg 44 and the additional fact that 44 is at an oblique angle it will be seen that when a the childs chair is mounted on the backrest of the barbers chair the thus constructed bracket functions to impart the desired pitch or slope to the seat 24 with the result that there is less likelihood that the child occupant would be successful in squirming his way out of the chair, as so often happens with prior art chairs lacking this featured improvement.

It is desired again to stress the fact that achilds chair 16 as herein shown and described provides a waiting chair; that is, a chair which can be conveniently" placed near the tots mother or father and employed to acquaint the tot with the feel and nature of the chair before called upon to take his place for a hair cut in the usual manner. For small tots (1 to 3 years old) the barber usually gets the tot used to the waiting chair, then picks the chair and child up as a unit and carries it over to the barber chair and places the attaching or adapter bracket 40 in its intended position with little or no trouble and with less anxiety and reaction so far as the child occupant is concerned. Further'and as is perhaps evidenced from FIGURE 2 the fact that the limb 44 is capable of yielding it will be evident that when the childs chair, that is, the back thereof comes into contact with the convex surface of the back of the barbers chair the compressible nature of the padding in the back and also the yieldable tion in FIGURE 5 the backrest 10 of the barbers chair' the invention as claimed.

cidents and difiiculties will be reduced to an acceptable minimum.

Reverting to the leg 42, it will be understood that it can obviously be constructed without the keeper seats 48 and, in addition, can be increased in width (not shown) whereby to permit it to be hooked over the back of the barbers chair and thus retained in place. 7 this leg amply wide it will stabilize itself and stay in place with reliability. Also, it is within the purview of the invention to vary the length of the eight portion 46 in order to effectually accommodate and bridge over chair backs of varying thickness dimensions.

With reference now to the modified form of'the invenis of course of the sameconstruction as illustrated in FIG- URE 1 and need not be detailed here. The childs chair which is readily applicable and removable as well as adjustable is denoted generally by the numeral 62 and comprises a seat 64, side members 66 and a backrest 68. If desired a harness may be provided, one strap being denoted at 70 and the other leg strap at 72. The bracket used here is the same bracket as already shown and described and is denoted at 49. The component parts however are the same as already illustrated in F IGURE 3 and consequently the same reference numbers are applied.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily. occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a barbershop chair embodying a horizontally disposed occupants seat and a complemental back generally vertical to and coopera-ble with said seat and provided on an upper rearward side with a latch-' equipped socket member, a readily applicable and removw surfaces of said side members, the rearward exterior surface of said backrest being flush with the rear vertical marginal portions of the side members, the top portion of said backrest being disposed in a plane elevated above the a top marginal portions of said side members, a horizontal seat at right angles to said backrest and projecting forwardly therefrom and interposed between median portions of the interior vertical surfaces of said side memhers, and means for handling, carrying and mounting said childs chair on said barbershop chair comprising a onepiece adapter bracket embodying an inverted U-shaped.

portion including a depending rear vertical leg fitting telescopically into the socket of said socket means, said latch being releasably engageable with a keeper seat provided therefor in said leg, at front leg, and a bight portion connecting the upper ends of said legs, said front leg being provided at a lower end thereof with a forwardly projecting right angular disposed limb, said adapter bracket being confined to a position midway between the lefthand and to stay put By making righthand vertical marginal portions of said backrest, said front leg being linearly straight and disposed at an oblique angle relative to the rear leg and being fixedly secured to said backrest, and said limb being fixed secured to a rigid component part of said seat.

2. A barbershop chair embodying a horizontally disposed occupants seat and a compleniental back generally vertical to and cooperable with said seat and provided on an upper rearward side with a fixed socket member and, in combination, a readily applicable and removable childs chair embodying a pair of opposed vertical spaced parallel side members having horizontal bottom portions disposed in spaced apart coplanar relationship, straight from end to end and capable of residing flatwise on a floor when said chair is used as a customers waiting chair, a vertical backrest interposed and mounted between rearward interior surfaces of said side members, the top portion of said backrest being disposed in a plane elevated above the top marginal portions of said side members, a horizontal seat at right angles to said backrest and projecting for Wardly therefrom and interposed between median portions of the interior vertical surfaces of said side members, and means for picking up, handling, carrying, mounting and subsequently detaching said childs chair comprising a 5 onepiece adapter bracket embodying an inverted U-shaped portion including a depending rear vertical leg fitting telescopically into the socket of said socket means, a front leg, and a bight portion connecting the upper ends of said front and rear legs, said front leg being provided at a lower end thereof With a forwardly projecting right angularly disposed lirnb, being linearly straight and disposed at an oblique angle relative to the verticality of said rear leg and being fixedly secured to said backrest, and said limb being fixedly secured to a rigid component part of said seat.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BARBERSHOP CHAIR EMBODYING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED OCCUPANT''S SEAT AND A COMPLEMENTAL BACK GENERALLY VERTICAL TO AND COOPERABLE WITH SAID SEAT AND PROVIDED ON AN UPPER REARWARD SIDE WITH A LATCHEQUIPPED SOCKET MEMBER, A READILY APPLICABLE AND REMOVABLE CHILD''S CHAIR EMBODYING A PAIR OF OPPOSED VERTICAL SIDE MEMBERS HAVING HORIZONTAL BOTTOM PORTIONS DISPOSED IN SPACED APART PARALLEL COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP, STRAIGHT FROM END TO END, AND CAPABLE OF RESIDING FLATWISE ON A FLOOR, THE TOP PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS PROVIDING ARMRESTS, A VERTICAL BACKREST HAVING VERTICAL MARGINAL PORTIONS INTERPOSED AND MOUNTED BETWEEN REARWARD INTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, THE REARWARD EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID BACKREST BEING FLUSH WITH THE REAR VERTICAL MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS, THE TOP PORTION OF SAID BACKREST BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE ELEVATED ABOVE THE TOP MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, A HORIZONTAL SEAT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BACKREST AND PROJECTING FORWARDLY THEREFROM AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN MEDIAN PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR VERTICAL SURFACES OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, AND MEANS FOR HANDLING, CARRYING AND MOUNTING SAID CHILD''S CHAIR ON SAID BARBERSHOP CHAIR COMPRISING A ONEPIECE ADAPTER BRACKET EMBODYING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED PORTION INCLUDING A DEPENDING REAR VERTICAL LEG FITTING TELESCOPICALLY INTO THE SOCKET OF SAID SOCKET MEANS, SAID LATCH BEING RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH A KEEPER SEAT PROVIDED THEREFOR IN SAID LEG, A FRONT LEG, AND A BIGHT PORTION CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LEGS, SAID FRONT LEG BEING PROVIDED AT A LOWER END THEREOF WITH A FORWARDLY PROJECTING RIGHT ANGULAR DISPOSED LIMB, SAID ADAPTER BRACKET BEING CONFINED TO A POSITION MIDWAY BETWEEN THE LEFTHAND AND RIGHTHAND VERTICAL MARIGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID BACKREST, SAID FRONT LEG BEING LINEARLY STRAIGHT AND DISPOSED AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE REAR LEG AND BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID BACKREST, AND SAID LIMB BEING FIXED SECURED TO A RIGID COMPONENT PART OF SAID SEAT. 